Chestnuts at Thanksgiving

by Debbie MilksNovember 09, 2018

The most frequent question this time of year is “how long will the chestnuts store in my refrigerator?” We have never had or found an authoritative “use by...” formula for fresh chestnuts. There are too many variables.

We, as farmers, just do our best to bring you fresh chestnuts, which are harvested the world over in September and October, as early as possible and to store them under optimal conditions until we fulfill your order.

You should have no trouble keeping fresh chestnuts in good shape in your refrigerator until Thanksgiving or a bit beyond. But like any live fruit or vegetable, even under ideal conditions will transpire, dry, and lose quality over time, and occasional nuts may succumb to spoilage.

If you are going to use them in a recipe like chestnut cornbread stuffing or chestnuts and Brussels sprouts or chestnuts and green beans (recipes on this site), my suggestion is to go ahead and roast, peel, then freeze them in plastic bags until you need them on Thanksgiving day. If you roast them just long enough to peel then they are firm and whole and are perfect for adding to a recipe and all the hard work is done.

Chestnut soup is an awesome holiday treat, but too rich and filling for Thanksgiving day, in my opinion. It is perfect for a night-before dinner with a salad and crispy bread.

If you have a vegetarian in your Thanksgiving group, braised chestnuts with a whole grain brown or wild rice mix is a satisfying alternative to meat or some soy based fake meat. We will ship packages on Friday the 16th or Monday the 19th, if requested. Check out our pic from our recent snowfall